Kichijoji, another center of Tokyo trends, selected as the most-like-to-live town in the Tokyo area.
Shopping areas in Tokyo, often introduced in guidebooks are mostly towns in central Tokyo, like Harajuku, Shinjuku and Ginza. However, the fact is that local areas just outside of central Tokyo are also attracting people to find cool and fashionable items.
The towns called Nakano, Koenji, Shimo-kitazawa and Kichijoji in west of central Tokyo are popular in young people, especially Kichijoji is hot and is known that it has been selected as the most-like-to-live town in the Tokyo area over years.
The reasons for Kichijoji's popularity that I can come up with are;
- Kichijoji Shopping Area has hundreds of fashion stores along shopping streets and alleys, handling cool & rare items. Major Japanese department stores are also located in the area.
- Kichijoji Shopping Area has many fancy cafes including fast-food shops and confectionery shops. Top brand confectionery shops in Europe have opened shops in Kichijoji.
- Kichijoji Shopping Area has various types of cozy restaurants, from upscale to casual ones. Since quite a few of non-Japanese residents live in Kichijoji, there are many restaurants offering international cuisines as well as Japanese food.
- Kichijoji Shopping Area has nostalgic Izakaya dining bars square called Hamonika Yokocho. In Hamonika Yokocho, there are small dining bars offering local foods and drinks at reasonable price. The nostalgic atmosphere at the allays attracts both young and old people.
- Kichijoji has a large park called Inokashira Koen Park
Inokashira Koen Park is just a 5-min.-walk away from Kichijoji station and is so famous for Inokashira Zoo and beautiful cherry blossoms in Spring. Inokashira Koen Park is also known for the location where the Ghibli Museum is nearby. (Remember prior reservation is required for admission of this museum.)
The below is the Kichijoji's shopping area map. If you don't know where to start walking around the area, it is recommended to visit Information Center (Machi Annai-jo in Japanese), Go out the North Exit of Kichijoji station and walk toward the street “Sun-road”. You will see the information center on the right side in the street. Thankfully, there’s also a currency exchange office nearby.
How to get to Kichijoji
It is easily accessible to Kichijoji from Shinjuku and Shibuya. It takes only 14 min. from Shinjuku by Chuosen line, or, 19 min. by Soubusen line. It is 16 min. ride from Shibuya to Kichijouji by Keio Inokashirasen line (Kyuko Express Train).
[ Related Links ]
Inokashira Koen Park
http://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/english/park/detail_02.html#inokashira
(Info in Japanese)
http://www.kensetsu.metro.tokyo.jp/seibuk/inokashira/annai.html
Inokashira Zoo
http://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english/ino/main.html
Ghibli Museum
http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/
